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2009 NBA Draft is the first broadcast in HD

by Richard Lawler, posted Jun 24th 2009 at 11:11PM


There's less than 24 hours to go before the 63rd Annual NBA Draft, and as NBA fans watch a procession of incredibly tall human beings walk across the stage and shake the commissioner's hand on their way to becoming multimillionaires, they'll be doing it for the first time in high definition (though the WNBA beat them to it.) ESPN HD will also have all the draft info filling up side columns on both sides of the screen, among the rest of the coverage planned. Of course, high definition can't keep your team from blowing a pick, but at least when your squad drafts yet another skinny, soft Euro big that will probably never come over, you'll be doing it in HD.

ESPN2 and ABC bringing 2009 WNBA season home entirely in HD

by Richard Lawler, posted May 22nd 2009 at 3:18AM

The NBA season is winding down, with the conference finals finally under way, but for the first time there will be plenty of high definition basketball all summer thanks to the WNBA. every regular and postseason game broadcast on ABC and ESPN2 will be in HD, starting with the Shock vs. Sparks, June 6. Not close to your HDTV, or in the U.S.? No problem, the games will be on ESPN360.com, ESPN Australia HD and ESPN Brazil HD (there is a ESPN Brazil HD?) Things got kicked off with the HD WNBA draft and while there might still not be much dunking, the league is at least ready to provide the high quality broadcasts enjoyed by the NBA.

1080p / 60 fps production confirmed for ESPN's new L.A. studio

by Richard Lawler, posted May 5th 2009 at 3:32PM


ESPN made a point of mentioning its new Lexington designed L.A. Live based studios (home of the new West Coast SportsCenter edition) would be the first capable of "full HD" 1080p production, but with no details we could only speculate on what that meant -- check that week's podcast for our take. We got in contact with Colleen Lynch of ESPN and confirmed the new equipment is designed for 1080p at 60 frames per second, with additional production equipment coming in over the next few months. There's no way to get that bandwidth home yet and won't be for at least several years but it's good to know the network is ready for whatever comes next. Check out the full response and a video clip of the studio -- for those who hit the sack before its 1 a.m. EST timeslot -- after the break.

Continue reading 1080p / 60 fps production confirmed for ESPN's new L.A. studio

ESPN prepping its first HD NFL draft coverage

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 23rd 2009 at 4:36PM


Sure, ESPN's been taking advantage of widescreen to cover the NFL Draft, but it's still a bit surprising that the 2009 Draft Weekend is the first one ready for HDTV, getting beaten to the punch by the WNBA. Check out the picture above for a quick comparison of the 2008 screen (bottom) to the new 2009 compression format (top), shot in HD and better able to take advantage of the 16x9 frame. Also new for '09? If you haven't noticed already, Todd McShay's gone all CNN on us with a "perceptive pixel touch screen" to swipe around player stats and draft possibilities, along with 21 remote cameras following potential draftees on both days. Check the gallery for bigger versions, then resume your 5th mock draft of the day, unfortunately for us, it probably won't include the Detroit Lions doing the smart thing and picking an offensive lineman first.

Gallery: ESPN 2009 NFL Draft

  • 2009 NFL Draft Presentation
  • 2008 NFL Draft presentation
  • Todd McShay's

ESPN presenting X Games 3D the Movie this summer

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 23rd 2009 at 1:27PM


The X Games haven't even been HDTV broadcasts that long, but this summer they'll make the jump to 3D with X Games 3D the Movie. Coming as a part of Disney's Digital 3D push, it will include footage from multiple X Games events including skateboarding with Danny Way, Shaun White snowboarding and Travis Pastrana rally car racing, calling itself the first sports-themed 3D movie. 3D definitely brought something extra to the BCS National Championship Game, so while extreme sports may not be our most logical next step, we'll be checking this one out too.

ESPN's SportsCenter goes West Coast & 1080p production tonight

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 6th 2009 at 8:46AM


Think you've seen everything SportsCenter has to offer? Already a go to channel for most HDTV owners by default, the next big change to ESPN's daily news show is the debut of a West Coast produced edition, coming 5 days a week at 1 a.m. EST / 10 p.m. PST. The Sony-outfitted digs in the L.A. Live entertainment complex are the world's first capable of 1080p production (what, no 3D?), but until someone starts broadcasting live that way, it'll be the same 720p as usual when Neil Everett and Stan Verett bring it to your house featuring a Magic Johnson / Larry Bird interview on the 30th anniversary of their championship game tonight.


Read - ESPN's studio in L.A. debuts
Read - Bird and Magic Interview on Debut of SportsCenter from Los Angeles Monday, April 6

DirecTV loading up multi-screen HD coverage of the 2009 Masters

by Richard Lawler, posted Apr 4th 2009 at 8:19PM


As should be expected by now, DirecTV is readying its interactive TV prowess for the 2009 Masters Golf Tournament from April 9 -12. The Masters Mix channel serves up CBS Sports and ESPN content, along with plenty of leaderboards, hole by hole stats for each player, a trivia me and daily highlight packages for notable player on DirecTV On Demand. We're not seeing much different from last year's implementation (with the exception of a healthy, surgically repaired Tiger ready to take on the field), but we're open to suggestions about how the Masters Experience could get better in 2010.

Disney videos coming to YouTube, Hulu might be next

by Richard Lawler, posted Mar 31st 2009 at 9:17AM

It's a bit surprising to see the Disney family of channels mixing it up with the riff raff like YouTube and, potentially, Hulu given so much time spent increasing its online video presence already (ABC.com, ESPN 360, etc.) but here we are. The deal with YouTube will put video clips (with shared advertising revenue from 15 second prerolls, overlays and banners) and all ESPN to embed its own player on YouTube's page, similar to the deal with CBS and its March Madness Silverlight powered page. About the possibility of a deal with Hulu, Disney's not talking, but if they do take an equity stake, hopefully it will bring the same priority for HD streaming (and boxee cooperation) that's been pushed on its own site.

DirecTV provides best HD view of Grand Slam tennis tournaments

by Darren Murph, posted Jan 16th 2009 at 9:37AM


We tell ya, DirecTV has the cable carriers at their mercy when it comes to these Mix Channels. For tennis enthusiasts in particular, you'll be hard pressed to find a viewing setup superior to this. Starting on January 18th with the Australian Open, the company will be integrating ESPN2 and Tennis Channel feeds into its six-screens-in-one Mix Channel, and for the first time ever, it will all be in high-definition. Viewers will be able to see the network channel and five court channels on a single screen, with each screen providing its own audio stream. Better still, DirecTV subscribers can expect the same kind of coverage for the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open tournaments later this year. And don't be shocked to hear of something similar for the upcoming golf season -- we get the feeling DirecTV is really going for the jugular here.

74th Heisman Trophy Presentation is the first in HD

by Richard Lawler, posted Dec 11th 2008 at 9:33AM

Whether Tim Tebow grabs his second Heisman Trophy this Saturday or the hardware goes home with Sam Bradford or Colt McCoy, the winner will make history as the first one broadcast in high definition. Available on ESPN HD, ESPN360.com and ESPN Mobile TV you can catch the December 13 awards show in a variety of ways, with replays planned for ESPNU. HD's a natural fit, not that we've missed the extra resolution on Lee Corso's face each year, but the inevitable endless highlight reels (and clips of proud, tearful parents and coaches) leading up to the actual award should finally be available in their proper glory. The show kicks off at 8:00PM ET, we guess this puts the first 3D Heisman presentation on the clock.

High-def found to increase ratings in sports programming

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 7th 2008 at 4:42PM

Go ahead, pick your jaw up off of the floor. We'll wait. On the real, you can't possibly be surprised to hear that high-def makes sports entirely more palatable, and a recent Nielsen study on the matter has found that HD broadcasting of sporting events has increased ratings on those very events by quite a margin. The numbers show that at least 22% of US households receive HDTV programming (up from 10% in September 2007), and its ratings for TV sports are 20% higher than the US overall. Even though we know the answer (or, so we think), we'll pose the question to you -- are you more inclined to tune to sports if an event is in HD?

[Via SED-HDTV]

ESPN recommends dropping HDTV to weather tough economy

by Darren Murph, posted Dec 5th 2008 at 5:40PM


Wait a second, read that headline again. Got it? Has it sunk in? Awesome. ESPN, the self-proclaimed worldwide leader in sports and true pioneer in getting even some of the most obscure events known to man in HD, has let DJ Gallo go right off the deep end. In an article titled "Financial tips for sports fans in a troubled economy," he first recommends to sell your old playing cards -- you know, since hordes of people are out in this economy trying to snap up Topps collections plastered with middle-aged athletes on them. The second recommendation is the most astounding: "Drop your HDTV package." We can't help but think that he's totally joking here -- a sports website telling hardcore sports fanatics to ditch high-def? Talk about a reason to chuckle.

ESPN snaps up BCS rights starting in 2011, antenna viewers SOL?

by Richard Lawler, posted Nov 28th 2008 at 9:02AM

ESPN recently announced it's locked up the rights to televise all the college Bowl Championship Series games beginning in January 2011, but that's not making everyone happy. The National Association of Broadcasters is airing a beef on the side of those who prefer to experience major sporting events -- particularly those featuring publicly funded institutions -- via free OTA broadcasts, not to mention the potential for further delaying a playoff system. The upside for viewers of course is the sports giant's commitment to high definition broadcasts and ability to deliver on multiple platforms, and playoff or no playoff, someone was going to grab those TV rights. Any OTA diehards planning to make the switch or say goodbye to the BCS in a couple of years?

ESPN Star Sports uncorks HD sports in India with cricket

by Steven Kim, posted Nov 25th 2008 at 1:51AM

ESPN Star Sports cricketAround the Engadget HD Thanksgiving table, we never fail to mention our gratitude for HD sports. Beginning December 3, our cricket-loving friends in India will (hopefully) be able to discover this joy for themselves as ESPN Star Sports airs Champions League Twenty20 cricket. It's the first HD sports broadcast in the Indian subcontinent, where HD is so new that it is unclear how viewers will actually receive the signal -- there are no HD options available to pay-TV customers. So, we're keeping our fingers crossed that in the days left, providers either: get their acts together and come up with a HD offering (good), or enable the service for all subscribers until things get sorted (better). Believe us, once subscribers see the magic that HD can bring to spin- and speed-bowlers alike, they'll find the rupees to keep the HD flowing!

ESPN Fantasy Football widget comes to Verizon's FiOS TV

by Darren Murph, posted Nov 14th 2008 at 9:00AM

Anything you can do, I can do better. That's the mantra being carefully executed by Verizon as it launches its own Fantasy Football outlet just months after AT&T did the same. Oddly enough, the decision was made to go live with this well after the 2008 NFL season began, but we know hardcore football fanatics won't be complaining. Available now for free to select FiOS TV users, an ESPN Fantasy Football widget provides "instant on-screen access to personalized points and football statistics, including rosters, box scores, scoring leaders and player information." Check it out now if you're in California, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington, or the Harrisburg / southeastern Pennsylvania areas; otherwise, you'll just have to be patient for an undisclosed amount of time.




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